USA > California > Monterey County > History and biographical record of Monterey and San Benito Counties : and history of the State of California : containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume I > Part 41
USA > California > San Benito County > History and biographical record of Monterey and San Benito Counties : and history of the State of California : containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume I > Part 41
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They were seldom stricken with disease, but when it did attack them but few recovered, es- pecially from fevers or small-pox, and when stricken they died by the hundred. The prin- cipal cure for all diseases was the sweat house, (b) although their medicine men practiced blood letting and made use of herbs for bruises and swellings and as laxatives. Some of the herbs used by them are today found in the pharma- copæia, among them, says George Warton James, being the yerba-santa-holy plant, casyara sagrada, sacred bark and the poison oak remedy, rhus- toxicodendron.
The dead were disposed of either by burial or
cremation, the last-named method being the most common. The entire funeral ceremony was con- ducted by the sorcerers or medicine men, for which they were well paid. When a death oc- curred the body was prepared and then placed upon a large bundle of brush wood and every- thing belonging to the deceased, including his bows, arrows, beads, feathers and clothing and everything that his friends would contribute, was also placed upon the funeral pyre. The fire was then applied and wood supplied until the body was consumed. The ashes were then preserved by the family or formally buried. During the pro- cess of burning hired mourners would weep and wail the praises and good deeds of the dead, and the chief mourners would smear their faces and hair with the ashes of the deceased mixed with a kind of grease and there it remained until worn off.
(b) The sweat house was a chamber or cavern dug in the ground and large enough to accommodate fifteen or twenty persons. In this house they built a fire, closed the entrance, and there remained until sweating profusely. Then suddenly they would run out and' plunge into the cold water of the river. The sudden reaction on the body caused either a cure or death, in most cases death.
CHAPTER II.
MEXICAN LIFE AND GOVERNMENT.
J
UAN RODERIQUEZ CABRILLO, in December, 1542, sailing up the California coast. discovered a bay which he called the "Point of Pine." Time passed, and in 1602 Sebastian Visciano was sent to the north to re- locate the bay. He found the harbor, December 16, and named it Monterey, in honor of the vice- roy of Mexico, Gapar de Zuniza, Conte of Mon- terey, who sent out the expedition. The bay gave name to the county, which was created by the legislature in February, 1850, and is one of the largest in the state, being over eighty miles in length, with an average width of forty-five miles.
It is not my purpose to write of its beautiful valleys, Pajaro, Carmelo and Salinas, nor of its lofty pine-forest mountains, San Lucia and Ga-
bilan, rich in oil, coal, petroleum, limestone, sil- ver and gold, nor yet of the long Salinas river and smaller streams, Pajaro, San Antonio, Car- melo and Nacininento, but rather write of the people in their social, intellectual and progressive life, since the occupation of the territory by the Americans, with a brief introduction of the pre- ceding seventy-five years.
Monterey is older than these United States, and when the old liberty bell rang out the inde- pendence of this nation, the bells of San Juan Bautista, Carmelo, La Soledad and San Antonio de Padau missions were calling to prayers the neophytes of the "Forest King" Monterey. These christianized Indians, as the fathers called them, were under the control of Spanish padres, of the Franciscan order, two at each mission.
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
A body of devout, God-fearing men, they had accompanied the Spanish cavaliers of Ferdinand De Soto as he landed in Mexico ; they sailed with Visciano and celebrated mass on the shore of Monterey bay. They were with Governor Por- tola on his march of discovery at the finding of San Francisco bay, and they were with Father Junipero Serra as he traveled from place to place founding missions that he might "advance the Holy Cross."
Although strongly religious, they were also practical men, and, knowing that commercial progress was as essential to mission life as spir- itual progress, they built in Monterey territory their four missions in the midst of the best and most fertile soil, and they claimed all the con- tiguous land, for the pasturing of their stock, the growing of fruit, vegetables and wheat. They prospered and became wealthy, and at one pe- riod, 1826, the four missions owned $135,000 in goods and money, together with 45,000 swine, 18,000 horses, 220,000 cattle and 240,000 sheep.
Working along religious lines only, they took no active part in political affairs, although in the earlier days they were encouraged, protected and maintained by the Spanish government because of their assistance in colonizing the territory. The discovery of Drake's bay in 1579 by Sir Francis Drake and the reported intention of Queen Eliza- beth to colonize California compelled the Spanish king to take action, and soldiers with families were sent first to Baja and later to Alta Cali- fornia.
In 1771 a presidio was founded at Monterey, and during Governor de Neve's administration, 1774, Monterey was declared the capital. The population rapidly increased, large tracts of land were granted to soldiers and civilians. "Only fancy a farm sixty miles in length," wrote Col- ton, "and they lords of the ranchos, with Indian servants by the score to do their bidding !" They possessed thousands of horses and cattle and "2,000 horses, 15,000 cattle and 20,000 sheep are only what a thrifty farmer should have," said the same writer. "before he thinks of killing or sell- ing. They are to be his productive stock, on which he should not encroach except in emer- gency."
Mexico gaining her independence in 1821, the flag of Spain was lowered from the custom house and the flag of the new republic floated to. the breeze. The mission Indians were given their liberty, the missions were secularized in 1833 and rapidly declining, all of their lands and property were sold by the government, except such property as was actually necessary for re- ligious work.
At this time, 1840, the shadows of another race and nation were fast deepening upon the California shore. Coming events rapidly as- sumed shape, events that eventually drove Mexi- co from the soil, but before we turn to those events let us join the Castilians in their social life, a life that made Monterey so enjoyable to the visitors and travelers.
Excluding the military, the inhabitants num- bered perhaps three hundred,(a) this including the families of the Mexicans and Spaniards and foreigners from England, France, Ireland, Scot- land, Germany, South America and the United States. Some arrived as early as 1814, John Gilroy coming in that year, Robert Livermore in 1816, W. E. P. Hartnell and David Spence in 1822, William Gale in 1824, J. B. R. Cooper in 1823 and Alfred Robertson in 1829. They had landed for various purposes, some as deserters from the merchant or whaling vessels, others to engage in business, while many came to obtain land and raise stock, expecting that in a few years the territory would become a part of the United States. They married the Spanish senori- tas and Castilian daughters, the latter preferring the foreigners as husbands, and many of Monte- rey's high-class citizens are the fruits of these marriages.
The Spanish wedding was a most enjoyable event and an occasion of feasting and dancing for three or more continuous days, during which time the bride and bridegroom were given no. rest. As soon as the marriage contract was signed
(a) John Bidwell said that the leading foreigners in Monterey in 1844 were Thomas O. Larkin, David Spence, Charles Wolters, W. E. P. Hartnell, James Watson, R. H. Thomas, Talbot H. Green, William Dickey, James McKinley, Milton Little and Dr. James Stokes. The principal natives were Governor Michel- torena, Manuel Jimeno, Jose Castro, Juan Malarin,. Francisco Arce and Don Jose Abregno.
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the bridegroom obtained the best horse he could find, and upon a saddle handsomely stamped and' ·embroidered in gold and silver thread he rode to the home of the bride, leading a horse as finely and richly caparisoned as his own. Then the god- mother, mounting the horse, the bridegroom be- hind her and the godfather riding the second horse, the bride in front of him, away they rode to the church, the horses galloping. On arrival all the friends and relatives being present, the couple would be received at the altar by the priest, dressed in his richest robes. As they knelt at the altar to partake of the sacrament their lady friends would gracefully wind about the twain silken tasseled strings, fringed with gold, or a silken sash, a symbol of their life- long marriage. From the church the entire par- ty returned to the bride's home, she riding with · her husband. On arrival two persons, one on cach side, would seize the bridegroom by the legs, if possible, before he could dismount, and each take a spur. To redeem them he must first pay for a bottle of wine. The newly wedded couple enter the house unattended and, kneeling before the parents, receive their blessing. Then, at the signal given by the bridegroom, the guitar, harp and violin struck up a waltz, and for three days and sometimes a week the festivities con- tinued.
The harvest was bountiful; one writer says it was due to the climate, and Governor Borica ex- ·claimed : "The fecundity of the country is re- markable ; plenty to eat, plenty to drink and no end to children." W. E. P. Hartnell was blessed with twenty-four children. Colton in one family saw twenty-two children, and in another twenty- eight. It was no uncommon sight to find from fourteen to eighteen children at one table, the children of common parents. On one occasion a Spaniard who had fourteen children applied to 'Colton for the care of six orphans. "Are not fourteen enough for one table?" inquired Colton. ""Ah," he replied, "the hen that has twenty chicks scratches no harder than the hen that has one."
Monterey is, as one writer expressed it. a well- built labyrinth, its independent founders having 'built their houses where they pleased. The streets
are, therefore, narrow and irregular, and nearly all of the houses low, one-story buildings; the walls were built of adobe, two feet thick and covered with tile roofs, the eaves projecting over the walls to protect them from rain. A few buildings, notably Colton hall, the Pacific and Washington hotels and Alvarado's residence, were two stories high. They were all white- washed yearly outside and inside by the Indian servants, and each of the better class of houses contained a large hall, used as a ballroom, with a dining-room and side sleeping rooms leading from the dance hall. The dwellings were with- out doors, a bullock hide being used to keep out the rain and wind. Only a few contained glass, and the first house in the country to afford that luxury was Hartnell's adobe on the Alisal.
In these homes the visitor was ever welcome, and he was not expected to wait for an invitation to come and make himself at home. Charles H. Shinn declares in the olden times it was con- sidered a grievous offense even for a stranger to pass by a ranch without tarrying a few days. On his departure fresh horses were always provided. and "guest silver," covered with a cloth, lay upon the table. The guest was expected to take all the money he needed, and it was never count- ed, either before or after his departure. Their hospitality was unbounded, and Roubideaux, a French traveler, said : "The people were the most hospitable on the globe, and you could travel all over California and it cost you nothing for horses or food." You were supposed to provide your own blankets, and one would be thoughtless if he traveled and did not take a knife to cut his meat.
Their varieties of food were limited to beans, beef, meal and a few vegetables, which were raised upon a common patch of ground called the "Milpas," on the Salinas, near Blanco. Flour they had none, nor butter. They cooked all their foods in hog fat. Colton, complaining, said : "Emigrants from the United States are pouring into the valley, and we shall soon be able to get a ball of butter without churning it on the back of a wild colt and a potato without weighing it, as if it were a doubloon (a Spanish gold coin worth $15.60). Our bay is full of the finest fish, and
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
yet it is rare to meet one on the table," he wrote in 1846. The conditions have wonderfully im- proved since then.
The Californians were inveterate gamblers, playing all night and day, and often betting large amounts even to the half of their fortune upon a horse race or the turn of a card. Colton, when he was alcalde, endeavored to stop this evil, but as it was a national vice he found it impossible. On one occasion he found one of the prisoners without a shirt and upon making inquiry he found that the Spaniard had lost it gambling. They were not permitted either cards or dice and as a substitute the prisoners bet upon the falling posi- tion of a bone.
They were a happy, light-hearted people and they never worried over present or future troubles, either to self or relations. On being asked the question, "How can you sing when the flag of your country is lost?" a Mexican answered : "Oh, give us a guitar and a fandango and the devil take the flag." The daughter of Captain de la Torre-some might call her heart- less, for gaily she sang her love songs accom- panied by her guitar while her father was upon the battlefields liable to be shot if captured, as he had broken his parole. Two Spaniards in jail for highway robbery asked Colton's permission to have their guitars brought to them. Their request was granted, and as the streets were quieted the music of their guitars was heard blending in sweet harmony with their rich voices, but their melody had a weird and melancholy tone.
The people never tired of dancing either sum- mer or winter, and the sound of the violin and guitar scarcely ever died away in the old home- stead. Carson tells us that after skimming over the plains all day on their fine horses they joined in the giddy waltz at night, and it was nothing unusual to see a little black-eyed girl of seven dancing with her grandmother. So fond were
they of dancing and the fandango, Duflot de Mofras, the French scientist says, in 1841 with a party of thirty males and females he rode fifty miles to a fandango. The party danced the following day and night and the following morn- ing at sunrise started for Monterey.
Picnics were a common source of amusement, and with the sweetheart riding in front of her lover, away they would gallop, old and young, to the dells in the wildwood. Following after the horseman came the slow moving carreta contain- ing the baggage and provisions, followed by a hundred or more dogs.(b) On arrival at the grounds the music struck up, and forth upon the green the man of seventy, still erect and tall, led the girl in the dance.
A strongly religious people, they annually ob- served Lent, which was preceded by a cascarone ball; Easter, Christmas, All Saints' Day, Decem- ber twelfth, St. Guadalupe's Day and every Sun- day. In addition they celebrated their national holidays of February 12th, March 2d and Sep- tember 16th and 27th, these being celebrated by order of the government, to preserve its bril- liancy and dignity and the respect in which it should be regarded in the eyes of the people. Governor Alvarado, who was a sort of free lance, neglected to attend to these national festivities, and his attention was called to the fact that all officials should attend solemn festivities and cel- ebrations. Their special national holidays were September 16th and Independence Day, and Gov- ernor Micheltorena issued a special proclama- tion in 1843, giving the program at Monterey. On the evening previous a national salute of five guns was fired from El Catillo on the hill, the band at the same time playing patriotic airs. On the Fourth of July cannon salutes were fired throughout the day, and the militia paraded the streets. In the afternoon a bull fight took place on the Salinas plains and in the evening a grand ball ended the celebration.
The Carnes Tolendas or carnival ball was a particularly delightful festival, one in which the breaking of egg shells, filled with lavender or cologne, finely cut papers or sometimes scaled gold was the principal features. These egg shells were broken upon the heads of favored persons only, and it was considered the highest honor thus to be attacked. It was a sport in which the poorest and the wealthiest alike took part, no matter what the price of eggs, and for several
(b) Every family kept a dozen or more snarling, fighting dogs.
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
weeks previous to the carnival day the women would be engaged in loading egg shells. (c) One of these events took place in the home of Thomas O. Larkin, which is still standing on the corner of Main and Jefferson streets, and concerning which Colton wrote February 16, 1847, as fol- lows : "It is past midnight and I have just come from the house of Thomas O. Larkin, where I left the youth and beauty of Monterey. This being the last night of the carnival every one has broken his last egg shell. Two of the young ladies broke their egg shells on the head of our commodore and got kissed by way of retaliation."
A beautiful custom was the celebration of Christmas, "la Noche Buena," the holy night, to- gether with the dramatic representation of "Los Pastores." Those who took part rehearsed the play several weeks and on Christmas Eve, at an early hour, all the houses were illuminated, sky rockets shot upward and the old mission bells rang out merrily. Late in the evening the crowd turned their footsteps towards the church and at midnight a solemn high mass was celebrated. The mass ended at a given signal, the tinkling of a guitar was heard outside of the church and im- mediately a procession entered, six females dressed in long white flowing robes and bearing long wands decorated with various colored rib- bons, followed by the arch angel Gabriel, per- sonated by a boy, Lucifer, a hermit and Bartolo, three characters enacted by men. Approaching the altar the shepherdesses kneeling before the Christ image began a low chant accompanied by harps and guitars. Then scenes in the life of Christ were presented, the performance ending by the shepherdesses singing "Hosannah," in which the entire audience took part. It was cus- tomary following Christmas Day for the per- formers to give the drama in the homes of the leading citizens, and at the residences of the United States consul and that of General José Castro, this pastoral drama was performed.
The system of government in Monterey was very crude and imperfect and continuously chang-
ing, the citizens paying their respects to twelve different governors in twenty years. It was con- trolled entirely by politicians, the people in gen- eral taking no interest in political affairs, and the wire pullers were divided into factions and ever quarreling over the custom house positions, divisions of the mission properties and the cap- itol removal.
Revolutions were a part of Mexican life and in the revolution of 1822 Mexico gained her inde- pendence from Spain. At that time Pablo Vin- cento de Sola was the Spanish governor of California. He boasted of his loyalty to the Spanish king and threatened to shoot any one who was disloyal to his flag, but when his coun- try suffered defeat he became an equally strong revolutionist, and for his disloyalty he was re- warded and given the position of deputy to the imperial congress.
In California there was what was known as a "junta," an official body of seven persons pre- sumed to be elected by the people of the entire territory. The president of the junta was called the "primer vocal" and in case of a vacancy he- became temporal governor until the position was permanently filled by the congress in Mexico. Luis Arguello, a San Francisco boy, was then "primer vocal" and he acted as governor until the arrival from Mexico of Jose Maria de Esch- eandia.(d) Then came the first quarrel. Argu- ello, in accordance with Escheandia's command, met the new governor at San Diego and turned over to him the affairs of the government. Argu- ello did not notify the junta of his departure and they assembled and appointed Jose Maria Estud- illo as governor pro tem. Then the question arose, who is governor, Escheandia at San Diego, Argu- ello on his way, or Estudillo in the capitol? The.
(c) To fill these shells, two small holes were made, one at each end of the egg, and the contents were easily blown out. If a liquid was nsed, after filling, the ends were sealed with wax.
(d) During Governor Arguello's term of office the church published an edict and posted it upon the door 'of the mission excommunicating any person who danced the waltz, a new dance just then introduced. The edict was published on Sunday and it so happened that a ball was to take place that evening in the home of Jose Maria Estudillo. The edict created a sensation among the pretty senoritas, and one of them asking the governor his opinion regarding the prohibition of the waltz, he replied "If I knew how and felt like it, I would dance as much as I pleased." His answer set the entire company waltzing, and the bishop's edict. came to naught.
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
trouble was that the politicians of San Diego had seen the new governor and he concluded to make the southern port California's capitol. Sending an official notice to Estudillo at Monterey, he · commanded that the government archives be re- moved to San Diego, and Estudillo obeying, packed the books and documents upon the backs of several mules and started for the southern town. After traveling but a few miles, however, he was overtaken by a squad of soldiers and com- pelled to return to Monterey. The governor came to Monterey in June, 1827, accompanied by two bridegrooms, Augustin V. Zemaraso and Romual Pacheco. They both fell in love in San Diego, the former marrying Luisa Arguello, and the latter Romona Carrillo. There were gay times in the capitol after their arrival.
A revolution in Mexico in 1830 caused another change of government and Escheandia was su- perseded by Manuel Victoria. He was bigoted, tyrannical and revengeful in his administration, and in less than a year the citizens, led by Jose Antonio Carrillo, Pio Pico and Juan Bandini, drove him from the territory by armed force and the junta elected Pio Pico temporary gov- ernor. Then the Mexican government sent to Alta California another governor of half Indian blood, Jose Figueroa. He was the best governor of early days, but unfortunately took sick and died at San Juan Bautista Mission. His body was removed to Monterey and placed in the San Carlo Church until the arrival of a vessel to car- ry it to Santa Barbara, where he had desired burial. The American brig Avon arrived on October 17, 1835. On the afternoon of that day a large funeral procession was formed, and un- der a military escort the remains were taken to the brig, a gun from the fort firing every half minute while the procession was moving. The casket was placed in the cabin of the vessel en- veloped in the Mexican flag and a sentinel stood guard over the body. Then the ship's band be- gan playing funeral marches and so continued until sunset. A few days later the brig sailed.
Jose Castro, acting governor during Figue- roa's illness, gave way in January, 1836, to Nicholas Gutterez, he giving up the office in De- cember to Colonel Marino Chico. The new gov-
ernor made many enemies. He was a disbeliever in popular rights and quarreled continually with the leading officials and many of the Americans. The last foolish exhibition of his temper caused his banishment. There was a performance in Monterey and the whole town was present, in- cluding the governor. A few days previous Mrs. Juan and her paramour had been placed in jail. Her husband asked that Mrs. Juan be released. The governor granted the request, and Mr. and Mrs. Juan attended the show. The friends of the fellow, thinking it a good joke, obtained his release from the alcalde and he also attended the show. When the governor saw the paramour he grew very angry and made so much disturb- ance the entertainment was broken up. The fol- lowing day armed men commenced gathering in the streets and the governor was told to "va- moose." He had no troops to protect him, and the deputation whom he assembled told him he had better go after soldiers. Taking their ad- vice, the governor marched down the streets, the armed men stepping aside and saluting as he passed, and, sailing out of the harbor on the brig Clementina, he returned no more. Chico, before his departure, placed the affairs of gov- ernment in the hands of ex-Governor Gutterez, and he unwisely took up the fight of his prede- cessor. Another body of armed men now as- sembled, under the leadership of Juan B. Alva- rado, who was now seeking the office of gov- ernor. Gutterez, gathering around him a few of the troops, removed all of the powder and cannon balls from the fort to the presidio and shut himself in. Alvarado, in searching the "el castillo," found a lone cannon ball, and, emp- tying a number of musket cartridges, enough to discharge the small cannon, they loaded the piece. The gun was placed in charge of an old gunner. Alvarado then notified Gutterez that if he did not surrender before three o'clock he would open fire upon the presidio. The governor held the fort, and at the hour named the old gunner, with true aim, fired. The ball went crashing through the house roof, scattering the tiles and splinters, and Gutterez, fearing a second edition of the same, immediately surrendered. Alvarado and his men then marched in and took possession,
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